Athletics: Merry sets record on winter fun run

By Tom Knight

10:00PM GMT 11 Feb 2001

SO MUCH for blowing away the cobwebs. Katharine Merry marked her first indoor 400 metres yesterday in Cardiff by producing a British record of 51.54sec.

The race, in the University of Wales' new indoor arena, was supposed to have been little more than a warm-up for her appearance in Sunday's British Grand Prix in Birmingham. Instead, the 26-year-old Olympic bronze medallist powered round the tight, four-lane track to underline her credentials as one of the world's most impressive 400m runners.

Merry said: "That wasn't bad for a Sunday afternoon, was it? There obviously weren't as many cobwebs as I thought there would be. I felt really strong."

Her run was all the more impressive because, with 24.84sec, she was a second down on her target after the first of the two circuits. The record, which improved the mark set by Phylis Smith in 1997, came after she kicked twice on the second lap.

Sadly, Merry's indoor ambitions will end in Birmingham. Despite her outstanding form, she does not want to go to next month's World Indoor championships in Lisbon. She said: "I've no ambitions there. I only decided to race indoors a couple of weeks ago and the intention was always just to break up the winter and have some fun.

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"The target is the World Championships in Edmonton in August. They'll come round very quickly and I can't wait."

In contrast to Merry, Christian Malcolm's focus is very much on Lisbon and the youngster outlined his improving form by beating Jason Livingston in the 60m with 6.64sec, a personal best and the second time in a week he has set a Welsh all-comers' record.

More significantly, the time was inside the qualifying standard required for Lisbon. Mark Lewis-Francis, his main rival for the remaining spot in the team at the distance, managed only 6.68sec in winning the Midland Counties title on Saturday.

Malcolm's performance came after the 21-year-old European indoor 200m champion had been up until 5am "dancing hard" in a city centre club. He said: "I know there's much more to come and, if I can, I'd love to double up in Lisbon."

Jonathan Edwards continued his build-up to the world indoors by winning in Dortmund, Germany, yesterday. The Olympic champion won the triple jump with a third round leap of 17.13m.

Glynn Tromans, the Coventry Godiva athlete who has had two operations to correct a heart condition, secured his place in Britain's team for the World Cross-Country Championships by winning his second consecutive Inter-Counties title in Nottingham.